World War III
by Alpha Three
Summary: Sequel to "Not Supposed to Get Out Alive". Five years after the birth of their son, Piper and Nero seem to be living a normal life until their world is shattered and an all out war begins. *We will be assuming Nero and Number One are around the same age here. Rated for mild language and other stuff (honestly, I'm thinking I may raise the rating). There will be warnings for you!
1. Five Years Later

**A.N: THIS WILL REQUIRE SOME MATURITY. THE IDEA WAS GIVEN TO ME BY MY FRIEND ALPHAFIVE (GO CHECK HER WRITING OUT IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY!) NOTHING IS EXPLICITLY STATED, BUT THIS IS STILL A WARNING. **

"Maximilian, please send your wife to be picked up in the launch bay immediately. She is needed for a special mission. Tell her that her Blackbox will not be needed," Number one informed Nero.

"Sir," he began to object, "Surely Raven…"

"You owe me your life, Nero, and I shall reclaim it in whatever form I wish. If that means Piper is put in danger for the sake of our organization, so be it. You are still skating on thin ice as it is."

"Yes Sir," Nero signed off as his son walked into the room.

"Daddy," the five year old asked, "Can Auntie Nina and I make cookies in the kitchen if the chef helps us and we don't start fires?"

Nero smiled, saying, "Only if the kitchen is relatively in one piece when you leave."

"Thanks, Daddy. We'll bring some back for you and Mommy!" The child turned and walked out, Nero watching him sidestep Piper and say, "Hi Mommy." Nero smiled; the child was already clad in customary Alpha black.

"He looks so much like you, Max," Piper gave Nero a hug, "You look worried, my field agent. What's wrong?"

"He has your eyes, angel," Nero chose to address her observation first, "and Number One's looking for you."

Piper kissed Nero once more and headed for the aircraft, tuning to wave at her family before she boarded. Number One had sent one of his private stealth aircraft for her, and she noticed the windows tuning black just as she took her seat. She mulled over the mission in her mind, having left her Blackbox at HIVE as she was instructed. After all, they could theoretically be tracked by someone other than the school, and Number One would never risk someone intercepting an agent on a mission.

As his son set a plate of cookies on his desk, Nero was wondering about Piper. "Thanks, Michael," Nero sighed, "You didn't light the kitchen on fire?"

"Nope, not this time," Michael said proudly, biting into a cookie, "How long will Mommy be gone?"

"Number One said maybe a few days. She should be back soon," Nero seemed to be assuring himself more than his son.

"Why do you and Mommy hug each other so much?" Michael asked, reaching for another cookie and swinging his legs in the chair, still not tall enough to reach the floor.

"When we were younger, we were taken away from each other by a very bad lady, and we're always afraid that someone'll tear us apart again," Nero explained, picking a cookie off of the plate.

Michael got up, walked around the desk, and gave Nero a hug. "She'll be back soon, Daddy. Really soon."

"I hope so," Nero hugged his son back, "I hope so."

Piper was led down a bleak and dreary hallway and put into a room that resembled one in an accommodation block. "Make yourself at home," she was told, and the guard left.

Piper sat down on the bed, but as soon as the hallway was clear of footsteps, she tried the doorknob. Locked, of course.

Only a few minutes later, a man unlocked the door. He had light hair and piercing eyes: Number One, Piper could tell.

"Piper Nero, your husband has wronged me too many times. I saved him once, and he already owes me his life many times over. He owes me a life, _in whatever form I want it._" He turned to face her with an almost sadistic smile.

Before she could scream, it was too late.


	2. Nina Redecorated

Nero knew something was wrong when Piper didn't rush to hug him as she was dropped off. Avoiding his gaze, she simply nodded and walked on.

"Mommy?" Michael asked, "Are you okay? You forgot to say hi to Daddy and I."

"Angel? What's wrong? What happened? Did he make you hurt someone innocent?" Nero asked, "You've been gone or almost three days. _**What's wrong, darling?**_"

"Max, Michael, I'm sorry. I need to be alone now."

As she swept past them, Nero grabbed her wrist, trying to hold her back. Piper whirled around as he asked again, "Angel, please, tell me what's wrong."

"**Max**," she growled, fire welling behind her eyes, making the normally calm blue icy, "**let go of me.**" She jerked her arm out of his grip as if it burned her.

As she stayed off, Michael looked up at Nero, asking, "What's wrong with Mommy?"

Nero gave his son a hug, watching Piper worriedly as she walked off and slammed the door to the launch bay behind her. "I don't know."

By the next day, Piper was living in Nina's room. She had refused to talk to Nero or Michael at all, and she hadn't sat with them at dinner. She had slept in the spare bed in Nina's room, which was a shock to everyone.

A day later, she was still not associating with them. Nina flopped onto her bed, looking at piper, who was reading a heavy volume of villainousness on hers'. In her black jumpsuit, she nearly blended in with the black wall behind her and the black bed linens (she had taken the opportunity to redecorate when Nero had been depressed and she was running the school. No one had ever said anything about it.).

"So why won't you talk to Suit or Mini-Suit?" Nina inquired.

"They're…boys. They wouldn't understand," Piper replied thickly.

"Understand what?" Nina asked, "What exactly happened?"

"I…" Piper launched into a confession, finally telling Nina, "If you tell Max, or anyone else for that matter, they're going to kill both of them. You mustn't say anything."

"But don't you want revenge? Shouldn't you at least talk to that medical guy?"

"I'll talk to Pia. Not Henry, **definitely **not Henry. He'd go straight to Max," Piper told her, "Revenge will come in due course."

"Have you told that to Raven?"


	3. Is Mommy Scared of Me?

"Daddy, why won't Mommy say goodnight to me anymore?" Michael asked as Nero was leaving his room, "She isn't scared of me, is she?"

"No," Nero smiled, "She needs time. I think she wants to talk to Nina or Raven before she talks to us. Whatever happened, she seems to think that they'll listen better than we will. Goodnight, Michael."

"Goodnight, Daddy." Nero turned to leave as Michael blurted out, "do you think she will ever be back to normal?"

"What's so bad that you won't tell Max?" Raven asked as she entered Nina's room. After a brief explanation from Piper, she said, "You have to tell him."

"No," Piper nearly cut her off, "I need time. Please, just give me some time."

"Well, if Nina gets sick of you, you're welcome to stay in my quarters. I can't believe… how are you…"

"I'm not, Raven. I've been worried about that too, but I'm **not**," Piper told her, "What Max doesn't know yet won't hurt him."

Nero lay in bed unable to sleep. What had happened to Piper? Had she been forced to take a vow of silence?

He remembered the first day that they had been officially married, when Piper woke up and asked him why he had chosen her. "Other than being **hopelessly** in love," he had told her, "It's not all about…_this, _you know, doing_ things_. I want to hold you tight and never let you go, to be able to wake up and smile every morning as you wake up in my arms, to always be able to give you a hug and smell strawberries, to have someone to talk to who actually cares o listen, to have someone to vent to, and to have someone who loves me for being me, faults and all. That's why, Piper."

What had happened to that Piper? What had they done to make her – dare he think it – afraid of him? She had once said that he was her cuddly supervillain, one that was no danger to the people on his good side. She believed that he** had** a good side, which was proof of her love in itself. What had happened?

"Piper, you** have** to tell him before you get called back there," Raven was saying, "What if you're…"

"No," she said firmly, "that can't happen!"

"If I recall, that's what you said after you had been married for two weeks and those results came back."

"Raven, what would I do then?! What would – could – I possibly tell Max?"

"The **truth**," Raven advised, "You can't deny biology."

"Wait a few days to be sure," Nina advised, "Then talk to the medical lady, since you won't go near the medical guy."

"They'd tell Max."

"You **have** to."


	4. It Has Been a Week

"Sir, Piper just left the medical bay, but she refused to talk to me," Dr. Scott was saying as he took a seat in front of Nero's desk, "She only talked to Dr. Singh, and Pia only told me that she seemed pretty distressed."

"Henry, she hasn't talked to me in a week. She's been avoiding Michael and I like we have the plague, and when Theodore volunteered to go and talk to her, he came back and told me that she ran away, as if he was going to kill her," Nero sighed.

"Sir, you need to talk to her," Scott advised.

"Believe me, I've tried, but she's stone silent or raving mad."

There was a knock on the door, and Michael ran in, giving Nero a hug and paying no attention to Scott. "Daddy, can I sit on your lap? Mommy just yelled at me for trying to give her a hug." Without waiting for an answer, he climbed up on Nero's lap and said, "Oh, hi Dr. Scott."

"Things will **never** be the same. He's going to hate me. He won't trust anything I say and he'll want to kill me. It won't just be us anymore, he'll always have that thought…**nothing will ever be the same**…" Piper was saying as Nina yawned.

"He's not going to hurt you. He'll want them dead more than you will, no matter how much grief I give you two over _things_. You'd better tell him before they make you go back there," Nina advised, "But at least you know that you aren't-" She was cut off by a knock.

Piper opened the door to find Nero, who asked, 'Angel, please talk to me. What won't you talk to us?"

"Max, I…" she trailed off, "I can't."

"Why?" Now Nero was almost begging to know.

"Can't you just accept that it's too painful for me to talk to you right now? Max, please, give me time."

"It's been a week, and this is the longest conversation that we've had," Nero protested, "What's wrong? I love you, angel, and I want to help you."

"No, Max, you'd only make it worse for yourself and Michael. I still love you, but…" she trailed off again.

"But? But **what**, my beautiful darling angel?"

Piper gave him a sad look and closed the door in his face.


	5. Wednesday

Two weeks later, Nina put her foot down and delivered an ultimatum. "Piper, you've been back for three weeks now. They'll call you back soon, I'm sure of it. Talk to Suit or I will myself."

"You can't!" Piper protested, "It would **kill **him!"

"Then you tell him before I have to! You've avoided too many people, and Suit's losing sleep over this. He sits outside the door at night waiting to see if you're coming out to talk to him. I've tripped over him three times when I've gone to raid the kitchen. He'll listen, he's just waiting for you to talk."

"Nina, I can't," Piper began.

"It's been three weeks," Nina was firm in her opinion, "I will give you some time, but this **needs** to be said. You have until Friday at breakfast, or I will tell him."

Piper groaned. It was Wednesday.


	6. Pictures

Thursday had gone by without Piper saying as much as a full sentence to Nero.

Nero sighed, looking along the row of silver picture frames carefully set on the mantelpiece. It started from before they were married with a picture in Paris. Then someone had captured Piper sprawled out on top of Nero on a couch, a picture of them on the beach, their wedding day (Piper was absolutely glowing), Piper nine months pregnant, the two of them and baby Michael, Michael's first birthday, Michael standing in between Nina and Raven in his Alpha jumpsuit, Michael smashing cake into Nero's face on HIS last birthday while Piper was laughing beside him, Piper and Nero curled up on their couch (as taken by Michael), Michael sitting on Nero's lap as Piper hugged both of them (that one had been taken just before Piper had left) and one that Nero had taken himself, in which Piper sat staring out of a window, oblivious to him and her surroundings. What had happened since then? Their life had been wonderful until something happened. Whatever it was, Piper wouldn't even go near them anymore. _**Oh angel, what happened? Why won't you tell me? I love you...**_

Piper woke up, stifling a scram in order to not wake Nina. Last night a book had come flying at her head as she woke up from a nightmare.

It was always the same, but it had been so vivid that it seemed real again: Number One, who had morphed into each of the three guards, who had turned into someone else…all horrible.

Quietly she got up and went back to her quarters – her quarters and Max's. But she had to talk to him; even if he hated her and thought she was a coward, that she was weak, she had to tell her story.

Piper glanced at the row of photographs as she passed by, stopping to look at one in particular. It had been partially obscured behind another one, but she pulled out the frame to see a picture of Max simply standing there and holding her. He was planting a kiss on her forehead and she had her head bowed into his chest. _**Oh Max, I'm sorry. I'm sorry about how awfully I've been treating you, even though it wasn't your fault. Max, I'm sorry...**_she had begun to cry again, setting down the frame and turning the door handle into their room.


	7. Piper's Confession

**A.N.: THIS IS A MATURITY WARNING. PLEASE BE MATURE (AND RESPECTFUL) WHEN READING AND COMMENTING. THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE, PEOPLE, AND THIS IS NOT MEANT TO OFFEND ANY VICTIMS OF ANYTHING. PLEASE NO DEATH THREATS! ENJOY, AND DO UNTO OTHERS. **

"Max?" Piper whispered, shutting the door behind her.

Nero sat up, rubbing his eyes. "Angel?"

"Can I… talk to you?" She sat down beside him.

"Of course, angel," Nero said, "What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"Max…Maxie…" she pulled him into a strangling hug, bawling, "Maxie…they…hurt me, terribly…awful, horribly terrible things, Max… They…they told me that…they told me that I would…that they would…make us watch them…kill Michael and then…force me to kill you…Maxie. You're going to…hate me."

"Piper, did they..?" Nero asked, looking her in the eye.

"_**Yes**_," she cried, as Nero pulled her to his chest, "Maxie, they…terrible things…"

"Angel, I would **never** hate you. Who?" Nero insisted on knowing.

"Number One…three guards…he let them…have their turns…after…" she cried, "Max, not stopping them…was weak. You **hate** weakness…"

"Oh angel," he sighed, wrapping strong arms protectively around her once again, "I could **never** hate you. I'd rather die. Protecting us isn't weak. Angel, I promise I'll get revenge for the both of us. And I swear that when blood starts flowing, their heads won't be the first thing I have cut off."

"Max, every night…I dream that it's happening again. First it's Number one, who turns into… the guards, who turn into…" she sniffled as Nero kissed the top of her head, "you. But it isn't the kind, gentle, considerate you that I have. It's… the Number One version of you, like you're possessed…cruel. I'm sorry, Maxie, I'm not saying that you're…_**bad**_…it's that it's infinitely worse…when it's someone you love and care about and know…wouldn't do that."

"Angel, I would **never**…"

"I know, Maxie. When you, when we…in real life…you're kind and gentle and…"

"Piper, I would **never** hurt you, even if there was a loaded gun to my head," Nero promised, "I'd rather play Russian roulette with six bullets. I love you. And I'm sorry I didn't talk to you sooner."

"I…I'm sorry I kept pushing you away…that I refused to talk to you…and that I wouldn't even go near you," Piper sobbed.

Nero kept holding her, saying, "Angel, I don't blame you. I'm sure you're terrified of being in the same room with any man. But I promise I'll keep you safe. I would die if it means saving you and Michael."

"Oh Max…" she started crying even harder, Nero mumbling words of comfort until she calmed down. "Max," she said as they laid down, their arms still encircling each other, "Promise me something."

"Anything, angel."

"Promise me you'll keep us safe. That they won't be able to hurt any of us. Promise me that you'll never make me go back there. Promise me that you'll never stop loving me. And promise me…Max, promise me you'll never let me go." She began to cry again, tears falling all over Nero.

"Done," he assured her, "I'll kill them all and make them suffer. You won't be going back. If he wants you, he'll have to get through Raven and I first. And Nina…well, she wouldn't be much, but she'd be a distraction. And I won't let you go until we absolutely have to get up."

"Then I'm staying here," Piper told him.

"Good. No more nightmares; you have me here to protect you, darling," Nero said, "I love you, angel.'

"I love you too, my field agent," she smiled and laid her head on his shoulder.


	8. Disney

**A.N: AGAIN, A MATURITY WARNING. I AM SURE YOU ALL ARE SICK OF THESE, BUT THIS IS YET ANOTHER WARNING. IT ISN'T AS BAD AS THE LAST CHAPTER…JUST SOME THINGS CONNOTATED. ENJOY AND DO UNTO OTHERS!**

"Angel, did you have any more nightmares?" Nero asked when she finally woke up.

"No, Maxie," she smiled, "I bet it's because I have you."

"You know, you're still going to need therapy, angel," Nero gave her a kiss, an edge in his voice.

"But Max, you have a degree in psychology," Piper said innocently.

"Oh angel, that's not what I meant. That wasn't the kind of _**therapy**_ I had in mind." By now, he had a knee on either side of her legs, a smile almost cunningly creeping to his face.

"Well, it's a good thing I have such a lovely therapist, now isn't it? And when do you want to start said therapy, my field agent?" She gave him a kiss.

"**Now**."

Nina had woken up to find Piper gone, her bed left unmade. She assumed that Piper had gone to talk to Suit sometime in the middle of the night, an assumption only bolstered by their empty seats at breakfast.

Michael was thoroughly confused, Nina only telling him that Suit and Piper were sleeping in and that as soon as she found Raven, the three of them would be taking the day off and going to Disney.


	9. Where's Michael!

**A.N.: YOU ARE NOW OFFICIALLY SICK OF AUTHOR'S NOTES. SORRY. THIS ONE IS FOR THE PEOPLE BOTHERED BY MILD SWEAR WORDS. NINA LETS OUT A MILD EXPLITIVE WHEN SHE REALIZES THAT SOMETHING BAD HAS HAPPENED. ENJOY & DO UNTO OTHERS! **

Raven landed the Shroud atop a building, skipping the parking fees and the need for tickets. She made sure the invisibility was engaged, and they slipped down the building's fire escape ladder, landing behind the building unnoticed by the milling tourists.

"We've landed in Japan," Nina said, "Let's go find some food!"

"Wait," Raven hissed, pulling her and Michael back into the alley, "Let's have fun, but we need to look out for anyone who looks like they could be suspicious," she shared a nod with Nina as she added, "**especially** GLOVE members."

"Auntie Raven, stop worrying!" Michael chided, "Let's go. Take your katana swords off when we leave the Japan area."

As Michael walked ahead, Nina whispered to Raven, "I'm glad we didn't bring Suit and piper. There would have been a repeat of the Paris incident."

"They're busy," Raven said, pretending to be showing her something on a map when Michael turned to ask them why they were being so slow, "and another Barcelona would have made me projectile vomit."

"I'm surprised Michael hasn't come looking for us, angel," Nero remarked as they woke up hours later, "Maybe Nina took the hint that we were…_busy._"

Piper looked at her Blackbox, saying, "Max, it's afternoon already! Nina left us a message though, listen. '_Raven and I are taking the kid to Epcot, since I assumed you finally decided to talk to Suit about what happened. Don't worry; we have Raven to supervise us. Have fun with your field agent, __**wink wink**__. Nina._'."

"They flew all the way to Florida?!"

"Apparently so, Max. By the time on this message, they have been gone for hours now."

Raven walked back from the bathroom, finding Nina in France. She had already meandered into the pastry shop and was chowing down on a piece of cake.

"Where's Michael?"

"He went to get some more food," Nina told her, "Just a few seconds ago." She turned to look at the cash register and saw no one there. "Oh crap, we just lost their kid in a foreign country. In Paris, no less."


	10. Numbers

**A.N.: PLEASE DON'T YELL AT ME FOR ANOTHER AUTHOR'S NOTE! THIS CHAP AGAIN CONTAINS A MILD CURSE BECAUSE OF NINA. IT IS PARTIALLY BLEEPED OUT, THOUGH, AND OTTO IMPLIES SOME THINGS. ENJOY AND DO UNTO OTHERS. **

"It's afternoon, you say?" Nero asked, moving to get up.

"Max, stay here. I'm too comfortable, please don't get up…" Piper begged.

"Angel, I have Villainy Studies…"

"But Max, it's two fourteen. Five more minutes?" Piper asked.

The color drained from Nero's face. "I _**had**_ Villainy Studies today…oh great…" His Blackbox started to ring.

"Let's just call him. He has never been late before, and class started fifteen minutes ago," Laura said.

"I is thinking he is being ill," Franz speculated, "he is not being at breakfast or lunch."

Otto picked up his Blackbox, calling Nero, who immediately answered. "Sir, where are you? Class started a while ago," Otto asked.

"I'm in the medical bay. I've felt awful all morning," Nero lied.

"Hah!" Otto exclaimed as the class erupted into peals of laughter.

"Liar!" someone shouted. Otto had put him on the big screen that pulled down in front of the whiteboard…_great_.

"It would be a **lot** more convincing if Piper wasn't in the picture," Shelby pointed out, "and if the background looked anything like the medical bay at all."

Piper instinctively pulled up the sheets, and then realized that she had put her jumpsuit back on after…_after_. Nero grabbed her hand with a sigh, admitting, "We didn't know it was so late."

"Practicing your favorite number, Sir?" Otto laughed.

Now it was Nero's turn to redden. Piper covered for him, asking, "Why are you so interested, Malpense?"

"They **did**!" squealed Shelby, "Look at Nero's face, he can't hide it!"

"That's **our** business, Miss Trinity," a blushing Nero admonished. Shelby nodded at the rest of the group.

"Why be so defensive if you didn't? Got something to hide?"

"No." Piper gave her a look to kill.

"You don't do this every night, do you?" Otto said, "That'd be…"

"No," said Nero, "We don't."

"Getting a bit old for that, huh? Not as much energy," Otto had to say.

"Don't be mean!" Piper wrapped her arms around Nero's shoulders, "Max isn't old, he's just older than I am. Of course we don't do this every night, we _sleep_ every night. It's a human problem that you need rest. **Don't call Max old!**"

"Thank you, angel," he pecked her cheek as a new call came in. It was Nina; he had to answer.

All he could make out was, "Suit…attack…Paris…Raven fighting… some bad $hit's going down here…taking to safe house." Then she hung up.

Piper turned to look at Nero, the same scared look reflecting in her eyes. "Max, he threatened to kill Michael. He _**knows**_, Max…"

She had begun to cry, and Nero pulled her into a hug, shutting off the Villainy Studies feed and whispering, "It's a coincidence, angel. He couldn't have heard us. It's impossible." However, he was none too sure himself.


	11. Lab Tech

**A.N.: Sorry I haven't updated in a while, life has been, well, life :) I'll be on vacation soon (with no wifi *tears*!), so future updates may be slow. Enjoy and do unto others.**

* * *

Nina had dragged Michael away as Raven launched her assault on their attackers. Within seconds, Nina had dragged him into the parking lot, hotwired an expensive sports car, and started to drive as the Shroud (which was still invisible, mind you) burst into flames atop the building. As Nina pulled out, only hitting six cars in the process, Raven jumped in the back, moving Michael over to the side as she began to stitch her arm back together with a needle and thread that she found in the glove compartment. Michael moved away from Raven's dripping arm and pulled out his Blackbox, looking for a signal.

Within twenty minutes, Nina had pulled into a parking garage, crossing four lanes of traffic to get there.

Piper had been trying to reach Nina, Michael or Raven for nearly an hour and she had become frantic, dialing over and over again and only getting a dial tone. Nero held her, repeating, "It's fine, Angel. They're safe. Number one would have made sure that we were watching. This is a warning. We'll be prepared, Angel, they're safe…"

"No, Max, he knows that our not knowing makes this even worse," Piper cried, "Michael!" He was suddenly on screen as Nina knocked on the safe house door.

Nina pushed her way into the penthouse, telling the man who opened the door, We don't know each other, got it?"

"Sure," said the man, nervously running a hand through his electric blue hair, "Who's the kid?"

"Michael Nero!" shouted Michael, "Who are you? And do you have any ice cream? I'm starving."

"Who is that? Is he cleared?" Raven demanded.

"Hue," said the man, shaking her hand, "Well, Mr. Nero, would you like chocolate or vanilla?"

Michael had handed the Blackbox to Nina, Piper asking, "Nina, is this where you go on vacation?"

"No," laughed Nina, "this is a safe house."Piper raised an eyebrow, "Hue…the name sounds familiar…that one lab tech! You were a lab tech in the SSK, weren't you?"

"Hi Pipes, how are you?" Hue smiled, "Long time no see."

"Seven years older than you, Nina," Piper laughed, "You hypocrite! Been busy in this apartment?"

"Not like you and Suit," Nina replied.

"Hugging is one thing," Hue motioned for Raven to cover Michael's ears, "But holding each other as tight as you can while Nero…yeah, _that_, is quite another."

Piper sighed, saying, "We're coming to pick you all up."

"As soon as you put on proper clothes," muttered Nina.


	12. Taking Sides

As they flew to Orlando, Nero contacted all of the GLOVE members (aside from Number One, of course) and called for a virtual meeting the next day.

As soon as they were in the air on the way back, Michael was jabbering, "It was so cool, Mommy! Auntie Nina beat the fat guy with an umbrella and Auntie Raven started chopping people in half and…"

"We owe you all," Piper smiled as she and Nero engulfed Michael in a hug, "We owe you his life."

"After what happened to you, that bastard deserves what he gets," Raven said casually, inspecting her swords.

Nero shook his head. "I want to deal with him **personally**, for my angel. **No one** is allowed to hurt her."

"She told you," Nina nodded.

"He's going to suffer," Nero affirmed.

Nero and Piper stood in the middle of a room filled with screens, each one blinking on as the GLOVE council members arrived to the virtual meeting. Everyone had made it but Number One, as was planned. When they all were paying attention, Piper began to speak, "I was called to visit Number One's headquarters some time ago. He…he…Max, I can't do this!"

"It was hard enough to tell you," Piper began to cry as Nero pulled her into a hug, "I can't tell them. We barely know some of them. Max, please don't make me…"

Nero held Piper as he explained to the group what had happened. "We need to choose sides. If you don't believe me, fine, but I want my revenge, and this will eventually lead to war, I am sure. Diabolus?"

"If it had been my wife, I wouldn't be so in control of myself, Max. I applaud that, and I'm standing with you on this one," the bald man told them.

Madame Mortis spoke up for all of the women on the council, who nodded as she said, "Maximilian, if he did this to her, we could very well be next. You have our full support."

Nero looked to the others, some of whom looked confused, angry, or outright shocked. Some nodded their agreement while others flatly refused to believe the story.

"_**Liar**_," spat Chavez, "You want power, and she's a pretty poor excuse. I want proof!" He clicked off his screen, surely calling Number One as the other skeptical members began to follow suit and turn off their screens.


	13. Raccoons

**A.N.: Hmm...what's with the raccoons? Suspicious... **

**Someone gave me the idea that Nina needed a pet, and a long discussion boiled down to... RACCOONS!**

* * *

Nero and Piper were lying in bed when they heard a sound above them. Without hesitating, Piper threw a katana sword into the ceiling.

"You cut off Phil's leg!" Nina shrieked from above, "My raccoon has three legs!"

Nero looked at Piper as she quickly explained, "Nina found some raccoons on the island, and she named them Phil and Nina 2.0."

"You let her keep them?"

"This was when I…wasn't talking to you," Piper said.

"I think Phil's okay!" Nina yelled.

Piper shook her head, wondering why Nina and her raccoons were currently inhabiting the ceiling. Nina had insisted that they were "special" and that they could play music and plug into walls, but Piper only ever saw them eat and eat and lumber after people… and eat.

Either way, they tended to stay away from her, which she was fine with. However, they sometimes ended up in Nero's office, walking around like they were taking the schematics of the place, and then leaving. She swore that they made weird clicking noises once or twice, but then again, she was pretty sure that Nina had gotten them drunk once too.

Raccoons crashing around drunkenly really made an impression on the school at the crack of dawn.


	14. Subject Piper

**A.N.: I AM SO SORRY I HAVEN'T WRITTEN IN A WHILE. LIFE HAS BEEN… LET'S JUST CALL IT INTERESTING, SHALL WE? Enjoy and do unto others!**

Piper, Michael and Nero were on their way to lunch a few days later when Nina joined them. Her raccoons were on leashes, meowing as they turned the corner.

"Mommy, what's that?" Michael asked as a mysterious ticking noise began to emanate from somewhere nearby.

Just as Piper replied, an explosion went off, clouding the corridor in billowing smoke that, when finally cleared away, left a black residue over everything.

Piper wiped at her eyes and heard a SNAP and a whimper, followed by Nero bellowing, "Michael!" Nina's eyes were glowing as Michael ran to his father, supporting a broken arm. Shattered robot parts were littering the hall. Piper had been right after all, the raccoons HAD beensuspicious.

"You didn't kill him, Subject Piper. You have failed. Copulation was not the goal, Subject Pier. Sui- Nero was supposed to die a long time ago. You have failed," Nina pulled a sword, "but I shall not."

Within seconds, Piper had her katana swords out and was moving into fighting mode, watching Nina's red eyes dart around. She shoulder rolled out of the way and yelled at Nero to take Michael and hole themselves up somewhere, knowing how destructive Nina could get. Hue tore after them, having just come around the corner, wanting to avoid the fight.


	15. And a Battle Ensues

Nero, Hue and Michael (now sporting a cast) were watching the fight via camera in a bunker. Nero would take no chances– they all knew what Animus fluid could make a person do. Piper was holding her own, fighting with the grace and finesse that was a result of a lifetime of training. Nina, on the other hand…

"It's her _**I'll-shank-you-with-a-spoon**_ fighting style. She ran a street gang in London a while back and learned how to fight there," Hue said, continuing as Nero looked puzzled, "She offed the gang leader and just took over. Ninety percent of the crime in London was because of her. There was no underground drug system either. She **WAS** the system, and she used the money to fuel her reign of terror."

They glanced up at the screen when Hue had finished explaining. By now, Raven was on her way and the school was under a full lockdown.

Nina almost incoherently spat insults as she easily avoided Piper, saying all sorts of things about failure and what she would do when Piper and Raven were out of the way permanently. By the time Raven actually got there, the fight was starting to take its toll on Piper. Nina had slashed her several times, a feat which would have been impossible if she wasn't hosting the Animus bug.

Nina was doing well, despite now fighting two people. Piper had cut her a few times, but was unwilling to fully turn her swords on to disintegrate Nina. She was looking to incapacitate, not kill.

Raven's arrival didn't catch Nina by surprise. She dived almost effortlessly. Piper nodded at Raven and they both moved in on her at once. Piper mouthed, "_She's three steps ahead of us __**with a jetpack**_."

Raven smiled, mouthing back, _"Then she just left her back exposed, didn't she?"_

Nina jumped out of thee way, hurdling over Raven as she fell onto the floor. She landed right in front of Piper, knocking the battered girl down with a push to the chest.

Piper fell, now unconscious, dropping her swords with a clatter as Raven rushed at Nina again.

Nero had covered Michael's eyes, not wanting him to see the feud turn bloody. However, it was his turn to gape when Piper finally fell and Nina looked straight into the monitor and said, _"I'll finish her off later." _


	16. Sleeper Shots

Nero panicked when Piper went down, knowing that Nina was fighting to kill. Raven was doing well, but Nina's drug lord experience combined with the Animus fluid was proving to be a match.

Just like her sharks, Nina played with her prey, feigning a roll left towards Piper's body but dropping down to the right, ready to smash Raven's legs from beneath her. However, Raven caught her off balance and sent her careening into Piper with an audible crunch.

Nero could tell that Piper had a few broken bones at the very least, and her fall would probably prove concussive. Now Nina had probably shattered something else. Thank goodness the medical bay was nearby.

A team was moving in, ready to intercept Nina and take her down, but she was too close to Raven for all of them to have a direct shot at her.

With a sharp roundhouse kick, Nina took out a guard before he could reach for his weapon. Raven ducked as nanoseconds later, six Sleeper shots sent Nina to join Piper in unconsciousness.


	17. Coma

**A.N.: IF COMING OUT OF A MEDICALLY INDUCED COMA IS NOT LIKE THE FOLLOWING, I AM SORRY. I AM NOT A MEDICAL EXPERT, AND I WASN'T ABOUT TO GO UP TO SOME PERSON AND ASK WHAT BEING IN A MEDICALLY INDUCED COMA WAS LIKE. THANKS AND DO UNTO OTHERS **

Piper woke up feeling like she had been run through a meat grinder. It hurt to breathe. Each breath was another knife in the chest.

Someone was holding her hand, obviously waiting for her to wake up. Opening her eyes, she turned her head to see Nero watching her. "Max…" she croaked, trying to get her voce to work without killing herself, "What the Hell… got into her?"

"Animus fluid, angel," Nero told her, kissing her forehead, "Those raccoons were a ploy to get us to let in a set of spy cameras. Henry already analyzed your blood and reproduced the vaccine from it, but she's still in a holding c3ll as a precaution."

"What…how dead am I?" Piper tried to smile.

"She knocked your ribcage in. you had a few punctured organs, nothing a bit of surgery couldn't fix. They say you're healing amazingly fast," he gave her a sympathetic _I've-been-there_ smile, and then answered her unanswered and unspoken question, "You've been in here for nearly three days in a medically induced coma."

"Michael?"

"He's fine. He has a cast full of signatures by now."

"What…about Raven?" every word was another punch in the chest, "Is she okay?"

"Yes, a bit worse for wear, but yes," he informed her, "They stitched her up and sent her off to her room. You're definitely worse."

Michael ran into the room, Nero catching him before he could hug Piper. "No hugs now. That would hurt her," he said, putting his son in a chair, "but you can show her your cast."

"**CODE FOUR! CODE FOUR! LOCKDOWN CODE FOUR!" **the speakers blared.

"Max?'

Nero stood up, telling Michael to find Dr. Scott and tell him to lock down the medical bay.

"Max?"

"They're here," he said gravely, giving her a kiss before running out of the door.

She didn't need to ask who. It had only been a matter of time. "Stay safe, Max," she coughed, "I love you."


	18. Not On Your Life

Raven stood watching as boats surrounded the island and helicopters turned the sky above them black.

Teams were assembling now, ready to hold off their attackers and fight for their lives. Ever able-bodied person (and cat) was in the halls gearing up. Depth charges had been placed in the water, some already firing on incoming boats.

She had hoped that they wouldn't lose too many students, but they were facing GLOVE itself. All of the first and second years had been herded into the dining hall as a precaution, since they were too inexperienced to fight (despite their cries of, "But I want to!")

Her Blackbox beeped.

"_**All fighters of HIVE:**_

_**Congratulations. You have just rebelled against those who fund you. This will not be a battle. This is merely a warning. I have much, much more at my disposal, and I will be glad to kill every last man, woman and child who stands in my way. You have three days to deliver the Neros to one of my supporters, or you will face my wrath. No one will be spared. Now I address Maximilian Nero specifically: you got what you asked for. This is war, and all of your sympathizers are on my hit list. You and your family will all die in the end. Make peace now, admit your mistake, and I will allow you a few more years to see your son grow up before you die.**_

_**And tell the angel that I say hello.**_

_**1**_ "

Raven deleted the message, muttering, "Not on your life, you bastard."


	19. Relocation

They were being watched. Every move was monitored. Since the day Number One had threatened his school and his family, Nero had never felt perfectly safe… well, no villain was ever _perfectly _safe, but with Piper and Raven, Nero should have been guaranteed some degree of safety. Nero did not worry for himself. He had nothing to fear in death. The Underworld could deal with him later. But he worried for his angel Piper, and for Michael, who had barely lived at all.

"Angel, you really shouldn't be doing that." Piper stood on a ladder, precariously perched as she gathered books from the highest of their bookshelves. She had been packing for a few days now, getting ready for the relocation of HIVE.

"Max, I'm perfectly fine. This is the last box, and we're leaving in an hour anyway," she smiled, "Have Nina and Rave loaded all of the students onto the Shrouds yet?"

As if on cue, Nina burst into the room. "I've dragged them all onto the Shrouds. You know, you really should have knocked them out** after** you put them on the Shrouds. And I'm not driving."

"Nina, we would never let you drive, even if we were dying and only you were okay," Piper said, "I'd rather bleed out."

"I'm not dragging another donut filled kid onto a Shroud."

"You dragged them? You were supposed to wheel them out on gurneys," Nero shook his head, "Can you at least take this box out for Piper? I've got to find Michael."

"Sure thing, Suit," Nina saluted, and then left the room with the box.

"Where are we going, Max?" Piper asked, climbing down.

"You know I can't tell you that."


End file.
